That was his first mistake. If Emerzian had a computer, he might not have made that call.

Google “1st United Consultants,” and among the first results are links to examples of con games run by 1st United Consultants. The name changes — in Tucson, it was Smart Solutions Financial Services; the Get Out Of Debt Guy consumer blog, it was 1st United Consultants again — but the game’s the same.

Victims never meet with the scammers in person. All conversations are over the phone or via email. The scammer promises the victim a lower interest rate, and directs the victim to send the recalculated mortgage checks to the scammer via direct deposit. No addresses involved.

Meanwhile, the original mortgage company, missing its monthly payments, starts the foreclosure process. By the time the victim finds out that he’s been conned, it might be too late to save his house. Taking legal action is impossible because the company has vanished, with no working phone number, and no record of its physical existence.

Other scams currently popular:

Furnace inspectors who work door-to-door and ask to see your furnace, and find expensive (nonexistent) problems, including cracks and blockages;

check-transfer scams that promise victims a percentage of a five-figure money order or cashier’s check if the victims will deposit the check and then send that money, minus the finder’s fee, to the scammers.

When it comes to suncreen, opt for higher SPF numbers. (Creative Commons)

Just because it’s August and you’ve got your eye on back-to-school season, football tailgates and the new fall fashions doesn’t mean you can stop wearing sunscreen. In fact, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, more than 3.5 million skin cancers are diagnosed each year in more than 2 million people. And many of those cancers could have been prevented with proper sun protection.

“Ultraviolet radiation from the sun breaks down collagen in the skin, causing premature wrinkling and sagging, and makes the skin produce more melanin, resulting in brown spots and blotches,” Dr. Heidi Gilchrist, a board certified dermatologist and nationally known beauty expert, says. “UV radiation is different from light and different from heat: It is invisible. Even on a cool, cloudy day you can still receive enough radiation to damage your skin long term.”

OK, we’re sold. But what do we need to know as we’re staring down a wall full of different options? We asked Gilchrist for tips on how to buy sunscreen.

Pick sunscreens labeled “broad spectrum.” “This means that they block both UVA and UVB radiation,” she says. “Read the label. Many sunscreen ingredients block UVB, but only four block UVA. Make sure your sunscreen has at least one of the following ingredients: avobenzone, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or ecamsule.”

Use SPF 30 or higher. “When the SPF is tested in a lab, the sunscreen is applied in a concentration of 2 milligrams per square centimeter of skin. That’s a lot of sunscreen — like cake frosting,” she says. “No one puts sunscreen on that thickly. Most people apply one half to one third that amount. So, if you think you are applying SPF 30, you might really be getting the protection of SPF 10. Higher SPF sunscreens are generally better in order to ensure an adequate level of protection. … No one puts it on thickly enough to actually achieve more than about half the number on the bottle.”

Look for new features. “Lots of self-tanners these days also have sunscreen in them,” Gilchrist says. “So you can get some color while protecting yourself.”

Consider the activities you’ll be engaging in. Waterproof and sweat-proof suncreens will help protect you longer in the water or on the tennis court, however, Gilchrist notes, the FDA has only approved sweat/water resistant (not water proof) designations of 40 minutes or 80 minutes. “After that you have to reapply,” she says.

The median square footage of units in new multi-family homes built in 2012: 1,626

All in multi-family situations, we’ve gone from about 750 square feet to just over 900 (not including garage) to almost 950 (not including basement). While those changes are pretty big changes as percentages (if I were an airline, I’d charge you for the 5.6 percent additional legroom), let me assure you that you can lose 100 square feet in layout or storage pretty quickly. I consider our moves to be instances of same-sizing — both times, we’ve moved more for location than for space or other features. Read more…

This week, we wrapped up what I hope is only the first of several Debt Diaries, and for me, they’re must-reads. Go check them out right now if you haven’t seen them yet.

Andrew Orvedahl (Photo courtesy Ross Evertson)

Colorado-based comedian Andrew Orvedahl shared his own tales of personal debt in three parts:

Divorce, and a crash course in debt — Until about a year ago, the word “debt” meant very little to me. Debt was owing a friend a couple hundred dollars, tops. It was something my friends complained about that I could only feign sympathy for. Now debt means airless depths, crushed under a seemingly inescapable burden of nearly $20,000.

Personal debt: That sinking feeling — Before long, you find yourself sunk hip-deep, and that’s when you realize your mobility is gone. You’ve accumulated more debt than you can pay down as you originally planned. If you weren’t concerned before, you certainly are now. This is where the smart people take emergency action: cut up the existing cards, and put a strict budget in place. Yet so many of us don’t. I didn’t.

Protect yourself from creeping debt — Was it wise? Not at all. Living on beans and rice and adhering to a strict budget while pursuing one’s dreams is wise. Wading blithely into the swamps of credit-card debt is not. When I was approached for this column, I had my reservations about accepting it, mainly because I did not want to address my own stupid behavior. All told, as the wild rollercoaster ride pulls back into the station, I am at least left with some valuable lessons, which I can share with you after my firsthand experience making these mistakes.

Do you know anybody who wants to share a debt story and what they’ve learned? Get in touch — we might do this again. Find me on Twitter at @daveburdick or by email at dburdick@denverpost.com.

Dave Barry may have dubbed camping “nature’s way of promoting the motel industry,” but he clearly never staked a tent in Colorado.

The Wolf Creek L3 tent from GoLite sleeps three and weighs just 4-pounds, 12-ounces. (GoLite)

Beautiful scenery, plenty of well-tended grounds, an escape from the heat — not to mention fishing, hiking, biking, climbing and all sorts of activities that are just steps away from your site? If you haven’t camped in the Centennial State, now’s the time to start.

But, first, you’ll need shelter. For the lowdown on what to know before buying a tent, we turned to Ken Volz, the director of sales for Boulder-based outdoor company GoLite. Whether you’re a novice or an old pro looking for a new setup, here’s what to consider while you shop. Dave Barry, are you listening? Read more…

Once we’d sold our condo, we felt like the pressure was off. Buying wasn’t too tricky because we knew that our sellers liked us — and we knew that we weren’t going to flake on anything.

Our inspection turned up a few big items, and we asked for those to be dealt with. The sellers agreed, probably knowing that they’d have to fix these particular items for any old buyer (and perhaps wondering if they’d get an offer like ours on a second spin through the market). Read more…

Like last week, I want to supplement this week retirement savings coverage with something to watch. It’s a short video — just a couple of minutes — and while I can’t speak to the merits of the idea itself (I’m neither an educator nor a mathematician), it’s a great example of some of the types of things we might want to think about when we think about educating our kids and ourselves in a new world with an incredibly complex financial system.

As someone who took calculus in high school, the above mini-TED Talk got my attention right away. Take a couple of minutes to listen to Arthur Benjamin put forward a case for making statistics — not calculus — the “summit” of the mathematical educational pyramid in U.S. high schools. Could that help establish a firmer foundation for financial literacy among average Americans?

Business is personal. And it impacts nearly every aspect of our daily lives. From keeping a household budget to planning for retirement, to getting (and keeping) a job or just putting up with annoying guy in the next cubicle — we've got a lot on our minds, and Personal Interest wants to help you sort it all out. We're bringing together the Denver Post $mart Editor with variety of experts from the local business community. We've asked them to offer tips, advice and general observations aimed at making the business of everyday life a bit easier to manager. Note: The bloggers were selected for their expertise, but their opinions are solely their own. While many operate their own businesses or consulting firms, we are not endorsing or advocating their businesses.